Majority Of Teens Change Identity On Net

Nearly six out of ten teenagers hide or change their identities while online, according to a new study of wired young Canadians reported in today's Globe and Mail newspaper.

The reasons vary, but a majority has pretended to be someone else online in order to flirt, pretend to be older or of a different gender -- or to "act mean" without consequences.

Online identity experimentation is "normal adolescent behavior," according to Cathy Wing, director of education for Media Awareness Network, the non-profit group that conducted the study. But that "parents should be aware" of it.

The Internet provides so many opportunities for anonymity: Online e-mail accounts can be set up anonymously, as can instant messenger accounts. Social networking sites like Friendster and multiplayer games such as The Sims Online provide an easy forum for interacting with strangers without anyone knowing who you are.

The knowledge that a majority of teens lie about their identity online is important to know for teens, who may not be chatting with the person they think they're chatting with; and for parents, who need to incorporate this awareness into their lectures to kids on online ethics. In an environment where you can get away with anything, it's important for teenagers to develop their own internal moral compass.